The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-03-08
NICk'S pits
A Winters Siege With the Small
POx i'm Sedalia Its Victims
and the Cost.
How w. j. Nichols Inaugurated a
Pest House Out of a
Smoke House.

The recent appointment of w. j.
Nichols to the position of general
western passenger agent of the Bee
Line, with head quarters at St. Louis,
brings to mind some very pleasant
| and also unpleasant "reminiscences of
"Nicks" residence in Sedalia.
mick" as be was familiar'y called
by all the boys, was a clerk in the
NJ. K. & L. offices at the time this
story commences. There were a num-
Der Of young men here then and they
made the town pretty hot, when they
We're out for lark, of course in mis-
chief, and not in malice. What the
"gang" could not devise, and what
job they could not put up to make
some poor fellow sweat, if they under.
took to do Sd, was not worth thinking
about. In this, several Sedalia young
ladies, now most worthy wives,
would assist in spirit
Of playful frolic assist in
raising a tenderfoot young clerk,
stranger, of course. out of mis- boots,
and make him wish he had never seen
the town, because of some practical
joke that had been perpetrated at his
expense.
SMALL PoX.
1t was in the latter part of October
or the first of November, 1872, Joel
II. AinswOrth emigrated from Ken.
lucky to Sedalia. He brought large
family with him. On the 9Th of No
vemher Joel was taken sick. But a
few days elapsed. when it was discov-
cred that he had the small pox.
Later, bis two daughters, Jennie and
Cora, both were taken sick with the
same dreadful contagion. The fathe..
died first, and later both daughters
surrendered, and crossed to
the other shore. Anna, Jessie aud
Lucy Ainsworih, other daughters all
had vairOloid and recovered. They
occupied house on the southeast
corner of Sixth and Usage streets.
''NICK HAS GOT IT.
About the LIST of DeceIaber, mick"
and Chas. McCrary, then clerking
for Bard IL Miller roomed together
over the drug store on Main street.
'Nick" was taken sick. First he was
only slightly sick and his old COM
rades would gather around his bache-
lor bed and make things howl, night
after night, until it grew to be little
toO-too for the sick man and they
desisted.
DR.. johnson, then living on the
Barrett place, called at Bard & Mil
ler's one day and the following con-
versatiOn was held:
Billy-DOctor, | just wish you
whOuld go up stairs and see ''Nick ;"
l fear he's got the small pox.
Doctor-Well, l will tell you, but
| reckon he's got nothing of the kind,
Get ME magnifying glass and Ill tell
you.
Billy Bard darted across Main street
| to l.. kumm's jewelry store and Dor
rOwed the desired article.
The Doctor and Billy proceeded up
stairs and the Doctor brought tie
glass to bear on the sick mans cuti-
Gle. After making a careful survey,
the doctor gave satisfied whistle, US
ne looked into Billy's eyes and winked.
This settled it, and Billy was sure
that "Nick" had the small pox, al
though no one said word.
The doctor then pronounced it a
Cease of smallpox of the most viru-
lent kind"
WHAT To DO WITH HIM.
chicks" case looked serious. The
under jaws of 1.-The gang" dropped, |
and they all ceased to ''shy their cas-.
tors" into that ring. The next day
Billy Bard went to the Barrett place |
and took possession of the smoke |
house. He carted the meat away |
and put the building in shape to he |
converted into hospital, with stove
and bed and bedding.
ALL THIS TINE
the true condition of the contagion
was kept from the people. The news
papers did not spread the news, aud
of course everybody in Sedalia was
interested in keeping it quiet, and
those dying were buried at night.
The next night after Mr.. Bard had
fixed up the temporary hospital
at the smoke house, "Nick" was
moved. 1t was three o'clock in the
morning when representative of the
BAzoo was walking along Main street
and saw double carriage hitched in
front of the Bard & Miller drug store.
Not human being was. in sight. 1t
was excessively cold and slight